Learn Your Way To SuccessTable of Contents (Chapter Synopses Below)Introduction: What Did You Learn at Work Today? (Click here to read the Introduction)Chapter 1: Learning on the Job: Set Your Personal Learning AgendaChapter 2: Taking Training: How to Get the Maximum Benefit from TrainingChapter 3: Recognizing Your Limits: Have the Humility to LearnChapter 4: Thinking Inside and Outside the Box: Utilize Critical and Creative ThinkingChapter 5: Experimenting: Learn from Trial and ErrorChapter 6: Asking Questions: Be a "Smart Dummy"Chapter 7: Defining Teams by What They LearnChapter 8: Learning on the Web: Benefit from the Generosity of StrangersChapter 9: Learning From Conferences and Trade ShowsChapter 10: Building Your Personal Learning NetworkAppendix: Your Personal Learning Journal

Endorsements

"Tobin’s new book – Learn Your Way to Success – teaches the all-important lesson that learning shouldn’t stop despite the number of diplomas on one’s wall. In fact, continuous learning at work is, perhaps, the only way to ensure even a chance for success." Marshall Goldsmith - million-selling author of the New York Times bestsellers, MOJO and What Got You Here Won't Get You There"With unemployment at record levels, skill irrelevance is a major threat to individuals and society as a whole. Dan’s book is nothing less than a survival plan for a rewarding relevant career. Read it if you are responsible for the careers and performance of others. Read it if you want to propel your own career for the next few months and for many years to come. In any case, read it as part of your own commitment to learning." -- Edward T. Reilly, CEO, American Management AssociationTo read more readers' review of the book, click here.

Chapter 1 Synopsis: Learning on the Job

To improve your job performance today and to accelerate your career progression, you need to set a personal learning agenda. Your partner in this venture should be your direct manager. In Chapter 1, you will learn how to identify your learning needs, including blind spots of which you may not be aware, and then to prioritize your learning needs.

Chapter 2 Synopsis: Taking Training

Most people who take a training program, whether an instructor-led course or any form of e-learning, whether within their employer's company or from an outside vendor, fail to get maximum value from the program. In Chapter 2, you will learn how to get maximum value from every training experience by planning beforehand, focusing on the training while you are taking it, and by following up on and following through with what you have learned.

Chapter 3 Synopsis: Recognizing Your Limits

No matter what your level within your organization, you have pride in your accumulated knowledge and skills, and this pride can keep you from learning. Employees at all levels must have a sense of humility to realize that they can learn a lot from other people, even if they consider those people less knowledgeable than themselves.

Chapter 4 Synopsis: Thinking Inside and Outside the Box

"Thinking outside the box" is perhaps the most over-used phrase in business today. In Chapter 4, you will discover the origin of this phrase and will learn how to use critical and creative thinking to help you learn and discover.

Chapter 5 Synopsis: Experimenting

We all experiment. In Chapter 5, you will discover how you can use experimentation to learn from trial and error. Even if your experiments do not yield the results that you expect or hope for, there is still learning to be gained from the experience. Learn how to plan your experiments and how to learn from them and share your learning with others.

Chapter 6 Synopsis: Asking Questions

A major method of getting answers is by asking questions, yet we often fear that if we ask a question we will expose some ignorance or appear naive. In Chapter 6 you will find guidelines for asking questions and for being a "smart dummy."

Chapter 7 Synopsis: Defining Teams By What They Learn

We often work in groups, but not always in teams. One difference between the two is that unless the group members are learning from each other, or together learning something new, it is not a "team" but just a group of people who happen to work for the same manager. In Chapter 7, you will learn how to get maximum learning from your experiences as a team member or team leader.

Chapter 8 Synopsis: Learning on the Web

The Internet, or Web, can be a veritable treasure chest when you want to learn something. But many people are intimidated when they do a search using their favorite search engine and get back hundreds, thousands, or even millions of hits. In Chapter 8, you will learn how to use the Web for your learning purposes and get tips on traps to avoid.

Chapter 9 Synopsis: Learning from Conferences and Trade Shows

Most people who attend an industry or professional conference or trade show get little value from their attendance. In Chapter 9, you will learn how to maximize the learning value you can obtain from attending a trade show or conference.

Chapter 10 Synopsis: Building Your Personal Learning Network

A personal learning network (PLN) can be a valuable asset to your learning throughout your career. In Chapter 10, you will learn how to select and recruit members of your PLN and how to best utilize (and not over-burden) the members of your PLN to help you achieve your learning goals.